Charlotte Booth becomes first female TASS Rugby League player

The Leeds Trinity student played a crucial role as the Bulls enjoyed a remarkable unbeaten season in 2017 and is now an England regular having been named in the squad for their trip to the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in Australia on Monday.

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) is a Sport England-funded partnership between talented athletes, education institutions and national governing bodies of sport to work together to bring the best out of our country's most exciting young talent.

For the first time ever, female players are eligible, and full back Booth is the first female TASS Rugby League player.

The Scheme is open to players in the England programme who play in the Women's Super League and study full time.

TASS helps athletes in education to get the very best from their sporting and academic careers without having to choose between the two.

Charlotte Booth has enjoyed a successful year with Bradford

The Leeds Trinity student is heading to Australia for the World Cup

This is the third year of partnership between TASS and the Rugby Football League, which has seen over 50 players supported to play professional Rugby League, combined with full time study.

The Rugby Football League and Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) have further enhanced their partnerships to launch two Dual Careers Rugby League Hubs to support player development for those engaging in University study.

The Hubs are the first two of a proposed six that will develop across the country and are based at Northumbria University and in Leeds, with a partnership between Leeds Beckett and Leeds University.

The Hubs will be the regional centre for players studying in that region and playing for Championship, League 1 or Reserve Grade teams and in the England Universities programme.

In year one, the North East and Yorkshire will be covered and the aim is to establish the same in the North West, Midlands, South East and South West over the next three years.

Support is provided with lifestyle, mental skills, psychology, medical support, and physical conditioning.

Players in those areas will be covered by individual awards using the original TASS support method until the Hubs develop.

Rugby Football League National Player Development Manager, Tony Fretwell, said: "Dual Careers is absolutely critical to our sport.

"Every player, regardless of their success, has to engage in another career either concurrently or after playing, in addition to those who do not progress to full time playing careers.

"Supporting player and career development in a collaborative method with TASS is a tremendous asset to our sport and we thank TASS on behalf of the clubs, sport and of course the players who benefit.

"It is especially exciting to welcome Charlotte to the programme and hope she is the first of a growing cohort of elite female dual careers athletes in Rugby League."

The RFL

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